Chapter 7: Welcome to the Resistance
David, Jennifer and I stood in a line with about fifteen other trainees while the leader of the base, his name I discovered to be Jonathan Butler, Gave a speech about freedom.
“Resisters in training, Today, you truly become resisters. You all joined for a reason, and whatever that reason was, now you’re here, fighting the Empire. We resisters fight for a reason, that reason is freedom, so fight, fight for the Resistance, fight for the Great Engineer.”
As the speech finished, Arthur walked up to my group and handed each of us in turn a Resistance badge. When he finished handing them out, he looked up.
“Welcome to the Resistance.”
After the ceremony, most of the groups were hanging around and talking with each other, and admiring their badges. In fact, my group was doing just that.
“Wow Jennifer, we’re actually resisters now.” I say.
“You know, you don’t have to keep calling me by my full name you know.” Jennifer said, “Most of my old friends called me Jenny.”
“Ok, Jenny.” I said, trying out the name.
David looked between us for a few seconds. “Oookaaay.”
Jenny and I laughed, and soon David had also joined us.
“Whatcha laughing at?” Cilvan asked as he walked up from behind us.
“Nothing.” I replied smirking.
“Ok then” Cilvan said, knowingly as he started off to check on the next group.
Cilvan and I had become fast friends after I had decided to join the Resistance, and he helped me practice in his spare time. I hoped we would be going on many missions together in the future.
I was broken out of my thoughts when Jonathan walked up to me.
“Hey Cody, How’d you like my speech?”
“Yes, the speech,” I said, “it was very inspirational.”
“Good,” Jonathan responded, “I do my best.”
Jonathan and I talked for a few more minutes about speeches, and Jonathans past, before he continued onto the next group of resisters.
Four days later, David and I jump from rooftop to rooftop in No Man’s Landing. We had just completed our first mission for the Resistance. We had been sent to bring a small bag of food to the Urchin’s Grotto. After we arrived we were met with a blond haired man who introduced himself as Liam. He took the bag and invited us to join him in giving out the food. It seemed pointless at first, but as I began to see the joyous faces of both young and old I understood why we did it. After an hour we began on our way back to the base leaving Liam alone with the urchins.
David and I climb down the roof of a building and continue on the main level of the town for a while before reaching some stairs. Climbing the stairs we turn right to see a singular pacifier standing in front of the door to the Beacon. David and I look at each other and shrug before walking up to it.
BZZT: This building is off limits, please turn around and return to your homes.
David looked at it. “I kinda like it here, what if I don’t want to leave?”
BZZT: This building is off limits, please turn around and return to your homes.
“How about… No?” David unsheathes his sword.
BZZT: Weapons are Illegal, please turn them in to you-
David stabbed it, causing it to topple over and deactivate.
I looked at him. “It was in the middle of a sentence, why not let it finish?”
David Looked back. “It talked at me funny.”
We laughed as we went inside the Beacon. We closed the door behind us and saw Jenny coming from downstairs with a sword of her own.
“Whatcha doing here, sis?” David asked.
“I came to destroy the pacifier, but I see you already did.”
David began speaking “Yes, I-”
“Let me guess,” Jenny said, “’I, the most powerful member of the Resistance, singlehandedly destroyed the automaton outside these very doors.’” She was doing her best to impersonate her brother while she said this.
David nodded slowly… “That’d be about it.”
I broke in. “Don’t forget, He’s also very humble”
Jenny laughed. “We can’t forget that.”
David also broke out into laughter.
Later that day I stood in front of Jonathan Butler telling him what had happened with the pacifier.
“I see,” He said when I’d finished; “This automaton problem is not good at all, who knows when more will appear. We will double the security, and make sure it never happens again.”
I nodded and turned away.
“Oh, and Cody?” Jonathan said. “You returned… earlier than expected.”
“I pride myself on being fast.” I said with much pride in my voice.
David who had walked into the room smiled and added on, “And humble.”
